Muzaffarnagar: Haryanvi singer and YouTuber Ankit Balyan was shot dead by unidentified assailants outside a gym in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district on Wednesday evening, triggering concern over the law-and-order situation in the region.
According to police, the incident took place in the Kotwali police station area when Balyan was coming out of the gym. The attackers, who reportedly arrived on two motorcycles, opened several rounds of fire at him. Police said Balyan died on the spot.
Shamli Superintendent of Police M P Singh said the victim’s body had been sent for post-mortem examination. Police teams have also been formed to identify and arrest the suspects. CCTV footage from the area is being examined as part of the investigation.
There was speculation that Balyan was planning to contest the upcoming panchayat elections, raising questions about a possible political motive. However, police and his associates had not officially confirmed whether he intended to enter electoral politics or whether this was linked to the killing.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav strongly condemned the murder and criticised the Uttar Pradesh government over law and order. He alleged that 18 rounds were fired and said the incident had created fear in the region.
Yadav also described the killing as an attack on the Jat community and called for the murder to be investigated from the angle of possible political rivalry.
Balyan had more than 3.66 lakh YouTube subscribers and was known for his singing and performance videos.
